Holy shit? I hope I didn't imply the UP was shitty...I'm just a fan of social culture..good food and entertainment. These things..(ok..the pasties are wonderful and I always bring many home with me) are not available in most of the UP...save for a few cities..mainly those with Universities (Marquette..I'd live in Marquette..so I'll eat the "Never") The Wilderness aspect is amazing and I do miss being able to go and have a swim after work in the summer. I think the nearest swimmable lake from Appleton is almost 30 miles and that is a bloody shame. But man...I've never been in a bar fight in the valley and I've lived here for 14 years...I'm not afraid of being in a bar fight..it just shows the mentality of A LOT of folks who grow up and remain in those parts...My whole family lives there...and some of the most wonderful people I've ever known still live there...I guess I just don't ever want to live where the world is still flat..

Sorry, Bonebag, I completely misunderstood you. I'm way in the sticks here-only one traffic light within 15 miles, but if I lived in the UP, I'd want to be close to Marquette, too.

Ok... I'm a lurker on this thread (for the most part), I have out-laws near the border in Wisconsin. I've been checking out property up der and the riding possibilities look good.... I think I wanna hear more about the pasties though.....lol

Ok... I'm a lurker on this thread (for the most part), I have out-laws near the border in Wisconsin. I've been checking out property up der and the riding possibilities look good.... I think I wanna hear more about the pasties though.....lol

The origins of the pasty are largely unknown. It is generally accepted that the pasty originates from Cornwall, where pasties evolved to meet the needs of Cornish tin miners. Tradition claims that the pasty was originally made as lunch ('croust' or 'crib' in the Cornish language) for Cornish miners who were unable to return to the surface to eat. The story goes that, covered in dirt from head to foot (including some arsenic often found with tin), they could hold the pasty by the folded crust and eat the rest of the pasty without touching it, discarding the dirty pastry. The pastry they threw away was supposed to appease the knockers, capricious spirits in the mines who might otherwise lead miners into danger.[1] A related tradition holds that it is bad luck for fishermen to take pasties to sea. Due to the high energy content, pasties were also popular as a meal eaten by farmers and other labourers.
The pasty's dense, folded pastry could stay warm for 8 to 10 hours and, when carried close to the body, helped the miner stay warm.[2] In such pasties, the meat and each vegetable would each have its own pastry "compartment," separated by a pastry partition. Traditional bakers in former mining towns will still bake pasties with fillings to order, marking the customer's initials with raised pastry. This practice was started because the miners used to eat part of their pasty for breakfast and leave the remaining half for lunch, meaning that a way to identify the pasties was needed.[3] Some mines kept large ovens to keep the pasties warm until mealtime. It is said that a good pasty should be strong enough to endure being dropped down a mine shaft.[4]
Pasties are still very popular throughout Devon, Cornwall, Wales, Ireland and Brittany; as well as other parts of the United Kingdom. Pasties in these areas are usually hand-made and sold in bakeries or (less often) specialist pasty shops. They are also sold in supermarkets, but these are mass produced and often taste entirely different from traditional Cornish pasties. Several pasty shop chains have also opened up in recent years, selling pasties that are more traditional than the common mass-produced varieties while still offering novel fillings. It is common in some areas for pasties to be eaten "on-the-move" from the paper bag they are sold in, making them essentially a fast food.
The true region from which pasties originated is hotly disputed between Cornwall and Devon. Outside of Britain, pasties were generally brought to new regions by Cornish miners, and as such are referred to as a Cornish invention.

Parts of Wisconsin, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and the Iron Range of northern Minnesota. In some of these areas, pasties are now a major tourist draw, including an annual Pasty Fest in early July in Calumet, Michigan. Pasties in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan have a particularly unusual history, as a small influx of Finnish immigrants followed the Cornish miners, in 1864. These Finns (and many other ethnic groups) adopted the pasty for use in the Copper Country copper mines. About 30 years later, a much larger flood of Finnish immigrants found their countrymen baking pasties, and assumed that it was a Finnish invention. As a result, the pasty has become strongly associated with Finnish culture in this area.[2]

Only threads about the UP bring out a zillion people who don't even live there claiming some affiliation with it.

Having lived here for about 13 years straight now, I have to concur- the title of Yooper should only be given to those who stick it out for life- cradle to grave.

Sure, the UP is a fun place to visit. Heck, maybe even spend 5-10 years if you find a nice job there. Maybe even retire up there. But you're still just cherry picking most of the good times. There's a lot about the UP that can downright suck sometimes. Only a true yooper is tough and resourceful enough to make it through. The rest of us pussies head for the suburbs of the nearest metropolitan area for cover when times get tough.

If it was all sunshine and rainbows, this place would be packed.

I've lived in the UP for 30 years and I'm still not a true Yooper. I'm married to one so they put up with me.

__________________"...people in the stands want to see good, close racing. The thing is to put on a show, and that’s what’s going to draw people in..." -- Scotty Parker

Thanks Joe, but I am starting from scratch. I don't know what fits me and I need to try some on. Can you recommend a brick and mortar store in Northern IL or SE WI?

I can't think of a single place in the UP that has a decent selection of helmets. If you're headed for Chicago any way, you might try Corse Superbikes which is just off exit 96 on I-43 in Saukville (N. of Milwaukee) or Sportland 2 which is just off the Rawson Rd exit on I-94 in Oak Creek S. of Milwaukee. I haven't been to either in a couple years but they used to stock a pretty good selection of gear.

__________________"...people in the stands want to see good, close racing. The thing is to put on a show, and that’s what’s going to draw people in..." -- Scotty Parker

I can't think of a single place in the UP that has a decent selection of helmets. If you're headed for Chicago any way, you might try Corse Superbikes which is just off exit 96 on I-43 in Saukville (N. of Milwaukee) or Sportland 2 which is just off the Rawson Rd exit on I-94 in Oak Creek S. of Milwaukee. I haven't been to either in a couple years but they used to stock a pretty good selection of gear.

Perfect, thanks! I am driving to Chicago for a weekend. If I leave Friday morning I can hit one or both of those on the way very conveniently.

...Will be taking the NMU MSF course in May and getting my first bike soon thereafter.....

Hope you already signed up for that one...it fills up fast.

Da' wife took 'da course that the Harley dealer puts on and really liked it.

It was well worth the $$$ to me to have someone else teach her ta' ride.

Give me a shout when you get a bike, and we'll hook up for a ride.

You just missed out on a deal...I just sold my DRZ400S to a guy who drove all the way up here from Milwaukee! ...it was nice meeting FRZY and hopefully some day he'll make the trip north again when there isn't quite so much snow.

they could hold the pasty by the folded crust and eat the rest of the pasty without touching it, discarding the dirty pastry. The pastry they threw away was supposed to appease the knockers, capricious spirits in the mines who might otherwise lead miners into danger

OK, I get it now. You eat whats inside then throw the rest away. Fill mine with bacon.